158: Letting go of her

Letting go of her

It felt like a terrible sense of déjà vu.0

Adela, with no spare moment to waste, stood in front of two guards stationed outside the von Conradie manor. The hired commoners, dressed in armor and armed with guns, wore a look of shame as they denied the Archduke's daughter entry and explained that their Master was not present.

Coincidentally, her arrival coincided with the departure of several physicians leaving the manor, their silent bows directed towards her. This only added to her growing unease—a feeling that something was amiss, something she needed to uncover before the soiree.

Mounted on her mare, she confidently rode to the next logical destination—Egon's house—accompanied by three knights who kept a respectful distance. Tying her mare to the nearest tree near the trio of houses by the eastern entrance of Lanark Forest, she gazed up at the door of the house she had visited just the day before. However, this time, she found herself needing to knock.

She knew he was inside, and she believed he must have sensed her presence as well. But the sinister vibes emanating from within made her heart race, compelling her to flee as far and as fast as she could from him.

When the door opened, Egon's eyes did not meet hers. Instead, they focused on something beyond her, presumably the knights. He moved aside, making way for her without bothering to close the door behind him.

Adela struggled to control her emotions as she watched him turn his back and enter the house, behaving like an entirely different man. He wore the same clothes as the previous day, and a voice in her head whispered that whatever had transpired was far worse than she had imagined.

Her gasp escaped when she followed him inside and laid eyes upon the wreckage that lay before her. The once beautiful chairs, the coffee table, and the dining table they had sat at—all reduced to piles of broken wood. Egon navigated through the debris without acknowledging anything amiss and slumped onto the sofa with a heavy sigh.

Swallowing back her tears, Adela observed him, waiting for him to meet her gaze or say something. But it never happened. With a heavy heart, she sat down beside him, but still, he refused to look her in the face.

"What is happening, Egon? Why won't you look at me? And your house..." her voice faltered, the words failing to convey the depth of her concern. "Are you still upset about the picnic I had with Arkin?"

He shook his head, his gaze fixed straight ahead. "It's not that. I have a familial issue," he confessed.

Adela, too, focused her attention straight ahead, the words she overheard the Baron saying before her meeting with her father in his study, taunting her mind.

"My family is very different from yours," he continued, his voice carrying a weight far beyond his years. "Lately, our bonds have grown even more strained."

Finally, his head turned her way, but his eyes still refused to meet hers.

"I have to return to them, to fix things," he declared.

Betrayal etched itself on her face. "I understand and respect that, but what does it have to do with you and me... with us?"

"Nothing. It's not about you or us. It's about me," he responded, his voice laced with disgust. "I was so self-absorbed that I failed to see the wreckage around me, the people I neglected. My priorities have shifted, Adelaide."

His words pierced through her, leaving her breathless. Her hand felt cold in her lap while her heart raced in her chest.

"What are you saying?" she asked, her voice trembling.

He threw his head back, his Adam's apple protruding as he swallowed hard. "I'm saying I must dedicate all my time to them now."

That was it. Once again, he was pushing her away, bringing them back to square one.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she swallowed them back, refusing to let them fall. "I understand," she managed to say, rising to her feet. Words about the upcoming soiree felt inadequate at that moment. It was enough for the merchant to believe that Egon would attend. She would bear the shame of summoning him, only to have him fail to appear. It was a burden she would carry rather than begging him to stand by her family in their time of need.

"Adelaide," he called out as he rose behind her.

No.

She couldn't turn around now, not when she finally felt his eyes upon her back. Not when he showed her the respect of releasing her without meeting her gaze.

Adela maneuvered through the scattered wreckage, her gaze fixed on the open doorway. Suppressing her tears, she quickened her pace, gasping for breath as she reached the threshold. Without looking back, she emerged into the fresh air, her faithful horse awaiting her.

I trusted you!

Three words resounded in her mind, leaving her feeling vulnerable and foolish.

How much did she truly know him? How deeply had he allowed her into his inner world?

Startled by the knight's sudden presence beside her, Adela turned to face him.

"My Lady," he spoke with gentle concern, "we have a carriage waiting for you in Harrow Way. I implore you not to ride in this state of distress."

Adela's gaze softened as she contemplated his words. 

"Thank you," she replied. "Your concern is deeply appreciated. Please lead the way to the carriage."

Tears welled in her eyes as she journeyed, her emotions flowing uncontrollably. Numerous onlookers bore witness to her sorrow, but among the crowd, a pair of midnight blue eyes stood out.

Lost in her own sea of misery, she had neglected to don a cloak to shield her hair.

"Lady Adelaide," a concerned voice called out.

"Are you alright, My Lady?" another voice inquired.

As she rode through the street, all eyes turned to the passing Lady de Lanark on her horse. However, Adela's focus remained fixed on those particular midnight blue eyes beneath a white cloak. They seemed to carry a compassionate smile within them.

Moved by this small act of kindness, Adela lifted her head, wearing the remnants of her tears with a sense of pride.

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